Absinthe was illegal in the US for a long time (as long as I’ve been alive), and now all of a sudden, with very little warning…it is legal. How did this happen? Well, it’s not as good as it sounds, yes, absinthe is now legal in the US, but it is different from it’s overseas versions. It is without Thujone, the stuff that makes you hallucinate…the reason most people are drawn to this mysterious liquor. FDA apparently doesn’t like Thujone, and that is how the US importers can make money off a well known new liquor. I’m probably just as disappointed as you. Anyways, if you haven’t tried it, I always describe it to people as a green schnapps without as much sour punch. GreenDevil.com talks all about it if you are interested in reading more.

Sure it may not be “travel” related or within a backpacker budget, but it does have a little plane on the can…which I feel qualifies it for a post. Airforce Nutrisoda is yet another drink for those concerned about their well being. I’m still debating wether I’m in that category or not, I’m back and forth between excercising and drinking…What can I say, I like to do both when I’m not travelling, and one when I am.

Rum and Coke my friend….Rum and Coke. Otherwise known as a cuba libre (more lime juice is usually involved though). Travel to any bar and order one it will cost you at least twice as much as what you can make one yourself.

Gathering the ingredients is easy. There is hardly a country on this planet that doesn’t have readily available Coca-Cola, and rum is generally not too far behind. The hardest part is usually finding a glass in the hostel. To save yourself money, buy a small bottle of rum from a grocery store or corner market when you first arrive. Packing rum on a plane is not a good idea and it will usually be confiscated. A small bottle won’t cost you all that much if you buy local product. From there, any time you want a good drink, just go find a cold coke. If your hostel has a refrigerator that makes it even cheaper, as usually you will end up paying a little more for a cold can or bottle than buying off a shelf of room temp. I usually put about a small shot in a glass and just fill the rest with coke. If you desperately desire lime, pick one up from a local vendor as it won’t be all that much. Some of my favorite nights are just hostel bumming with fellow travelers sharing cheap drinks.

I thought I would continue the water bottle article with a slight offshoot just briefly mentioned. Flavor Packets. Flavor Packets are the newest additions to my pack while traveling. Drinking water saves a lot of money, and when you get tired of plain old water, it helps to have a low cost alternative available wherever you go. In addition to cost, it’s never a bad idea to lay off the soft drinks and chug the agua. That’s where these flavor packets come in handy.

The typical flavor packet can be used for about 12-20 ounces of water, depending on how strong you want it. A few different companies make these flavor packets and the number of flavors has dramatically increased.

Crystal Light is kind of leading the way with marketing, and at last check they had 12 flavors available. Great Value also makes a cheaper alternative. Kool-Aid and Lipton are also just entering the market as well. Lipton seems to be pushing their green tea, which I have yet to try. Kool-aid obviously has kid friendly flavors such as tropical punch, cherry, grape, and orange. Actually, when you think about it, Kool-Aid has been doing this for years, now, they just put it in a smaller packet and call them singles. Airborne is a new provider as well, trying to corner the immune conscience consumer, and marketing it as a dietary supplement.

I added these to the packing list because they almost force me to drink more water, which saves money, and they are so small and can pack anywhere with no problem or worry about additional weight. The downside I suppose would be the cost, I just know that buying things in smaller quantities is never a good value. So, for the extreme shoe-string budget traveler, think about buying a larger supply, or see what’s available in your kitchen, and instead of individual packets, dump the powder in a 35mm film case. Those hard plastic, well sealed containers are small and sturdy and can probably hold the equivalent of 3-5 flavor individual flavor packets.

It’s a pick me up drink used for socializing…that should be enough to justify it’s existence on this list. Although Mate is served in a few South American countries, Uruguay has made it culture….pure gourd hourding bombilla-suckin’ tastic. Even if you don’t like teas, you have to admit, this one is unique. If you’re interested in more nativayerbamate.com has plenty.